Valve for automatic fire-extinguishers.



PTENTED JAN. 22, 1907.

ANDREWS. VALVE PoR AUTOMATIC PIRE EXTINGUISHERS.

.APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 5,1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

PATENTBD JAN. 22, 1905'.

M. ANDREWS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5,1906.

VALVE POR AUTOMATIC PIRE EXTINGUISHBRS.

muren l/lnil'llll ANDREWS', OF CHlCAGU, lLLlhllllS, ASSICJNOR TO lldl'ilNGUISl-lll-lt CO., 0F (ll-IMAGO, -lLLlN015-s A CORPORATION.

Specilication of Letters Patent.

i-ppimaonnainm5,1906. serinraemew.-

Improvements in Valves for Automatic Fire- Extinguishers, ci which the following is a specification.

The invention relates more particularly to an indicator for use in connection with the valve device than to the valve device itself, and here it may be stated that the invention is not limited to a valve device ci any parH 'ticular type or construction, although it is especially Well adapted for that class of drypipe valve devices in which a temporary valve-holding device 1s used ior holding the Water-valve or the airvalve, or both the Water-valve and the `air-valve, seated while in fact, exist.

the system is being charged with air under pressure and until the pressure becomes suicient 'to hold the valve seated, after which the teniporaryvalve-holding device is tripped, leaving the valve under the control ci n Athe airpressure the distributing system. In

some valve devices of "this class the temeorary holding device is tripped manually,

While in others it is tripped automaticallyby .the pressure in the system whenssaid presr sure reaches a predetermined amount. The invention isapplicable to valve devices of both these types; but it is particularly apype having a tem iorary valve-holding inatically, and hence this type is selected 'for' thcpurposes of illustration and description.`

The eobject ofthe invention is to provide means 'for positively and with absolute cer-v tainty indicating not only the facts that the valve is set and that the temporary valveholding lieve the valvel oi its restraint and leave it lunder the control of the system pressure -*hen these conditions actually exist, but

` `jlso for as positively and with as absolu te 'certainty preventing a 'false'indication that the valve has been set or that it has been relieved of the restraint vof the temporary valv cholding device when these conditions do not,

I am aware that it provide devices intended to automatically mdicatetliat the valve is set and that it device which is trippe. autodevice has been 'tripped so as to rehas `been proposed to has been relieved of therestraint or the temporary valve-holding device; but in all such devices of Which l am aware these facts are at variance with the readings of thek indicator.

The invention consists in the featuresl of reference to the accompanying drawings, in

Wliich- Figure i is a verticalsection ci a valve for automatic iire-extii'iguishers having an indi-v. cator embodying the invention, the lcutting )lanes being approximately indicated by the lines :c and y y, Fig.A 2. Figs. 2 and 3 are vertical sections. thereofI in a plane approxi. mately indicated by the li nez c, Fig. Al, show,- ing the parts in diiierent positions. Fig. Llis horizontal section showing a detail. The valve shown in 'ing A, providing a chamber Af, ran opening A for the admission of Water from any suitable source of supply, and an opeiiingA, through Which the chamber vis in constant open communication withthe riser of the distributing system.V TN either the riser v.nor the distributin pipes is shown, as they are- Well understoo by those skilled inthe art. lt willi be understood that normally Athey are charged withl air under pressure,`an'd by reason of the open communication 'with the the saine pressure.

, carried by a Swingin2T 'arm or llink l), and the controlled by the pressure in tlie system here-i` inafter called the ina-in valve-holding device. The present invention 1s not contl'iis main valveholdi'ng device; but for the sake of'coinpleteness the construction shown in the drawings willbe brieflydescribed.

' The valve is engaged' by the vlower end of end of said member C boing in engagement .said strut, while the upper ond ol the latter engages a spider l; I strut have rocking engagement with each other and with the valve and spider, respectively, and iorzn aloggle by which the valve PHOENIX rien;

not indicated positively and'witli absolt'ite.A certainty; but, on the contrary, they may be the drawings has a cas'' chamber Athe, air in the latter rwill vbe under The Waterinlet is controlled' by a'valve 1.3,

valve 'is normally heldseated'by mechanism cerned Witli'the details in the constiuction'of with the lower end of theotlier nicnibor'l) foiif` 'llie two menibcrso'l the Patented Jan. e2, leo?.

noveltyrthat are hereinafter describedwith one member'Coi a'tivo-part strut', the upper ioo `is held seated-Isoy vling as its members are in approximatealin'ment. Loops d, carried by the member D and encircling lateralprojee' y tions c on the member C, preventthe latter from falling completely awayirom theorrner, f

and links suspended from thespider E," support the member D when the toggley buckles.

An arm D' rojects laterally from' the, member D and orms the long'arm of abelle' crank lever, the short arm of which is formed' by the member DJ From the -arm'D'issusspended a weight F, the tendency 'ofwhiehliisf' to depress the arm and buckle'` thefvalve'-i holding strut. To the armi is corrnectedfan'l air-valve Gr, adapted-to an annularseatrHf,1 providing a chamber 7L, thev air lin* wh'ehl'is! maintained at a lowfor atmospheric pressure" through an opening hf'.

When the valve 'is setf'andithe pressurefin" the system is normal, thefupward'pressure'oftheair against the air-valve will hold itseat- -ed and hold the weight==F"elevated- While seated the air-valve Willfhold-the-farm-Dlin elevated position, andsaidfarm inturn will hold the members ofthe jvalve-holdingstrutf= in approximate alinement, whereby the water# valve is held seated in oppositio'nvto the pres@ sure of the water against-f its under Sider'A Upon a reduction of the 'irepressure toafpre determined amount thef Weight will overcome .valve-holding device consists oil aldisplaceable part or bridge I,hin'ged to' the Icasiirgat i', a vertically-adjustable postf'IQ' carried by main valve-holding device, and 'a-Inova'bleA part J, hereinafter called a trigger," which is adapted to engage the free end ofthe brid 'f I and when in engagement therewithhold' the bridge in such position that its post-I1 engages the arm D ofthe main valve-holding device, and thereby holds the air andwate'r valves. seated whilel thev system is being charged. The part J forms a part oi' the temporary valve-holding device, in that it holdsl a displaceable part I in place so long as it is in engagement with it, and it also has the yfunction of a trigger, in that when disengagedl from the displaceable part I it permits theI latter to fall away, thus relieving the main valve-holding device of its restraintl andlleaving the latter under the sole controlof the' pressure in the system. As shown' in they drawings, the trigger J consists of an endwisemovable rod or stemv extending throughthe;

t in lthis inscription will gradually come into view.

hollow-shank lc of a diaphragm-box K,which shank is screwed into a threaded opening in the casing. The box K .is made of two dished parts, having marginal flanges secured together Vby bolts, the flexible diaphragm L bemgclamped between them in vcustomary manner. The diaphragm is connected to the trigger so that each partakes of the moveinent ofthe other. One side of the diaphragm isfexposed to thev system pressure through the hollow shank k, and the other side is exposed to the atmospheric pressure through an opening/inthe Louterpart of the'box K. A' spring M'exerts its pressure inone direction against the boxand 1n the other direction against the trigger with atendency to roject its inner end into positionto engage t ie bridge.

In forder' to set the parts in the positions in whichthey are shown in Figs.. 1 and 2, the faeeplateaoi1the casing is removed. Vhen replaced, it closes the chamber of thecasing air'ti'ght,andj the system is charged with air underpressure.' The pressure thus produced acting upon thediaphragm L will whenl a-predeterrnined amount is reached withdraw the trigger from enga ement with the bridge'I andpermit it to ial to the posiaggiudicata by deadlines in Fig. s. For

the purpose of indicating that this action has takenplaee it has been proposed to place an inscriptionthe word Set) on a portion y' of the triggenwhic'h extends loosely through the afresaidfopeningin the box K, so that as the m'fgger gradually Imoves outward underthe uence of the pressure upon the diaphragm This is .opene to the 4objection thatv inv every instance the inscription, or more or less of it, comes'finto view before the trigger has actuallydi'senga'gedthe bridge, and in no instance does-lit positively'indicate that thebridge hais actuallyj fallen; At `best it indicates simply that the tri ger has reached a position that'wi'll permit -t e bridge to fall; but the factthat 1thas fallen is left to be assumed from the'fa'ct 'that the inscription-is visible. To overcometln's objection, I provide an indicatorwhichfis `soccmtrolled by a displace- IOO IIO

ablepa'rtee. g., the bridge-interposed' between 4'the trigger and the main valve-holding device that lthef'inscription cannot be displayed until said part is actually displaced.

Nrepresents an' air-tight box having a threadedfshankfn screwed into a threaded opening through the top of the casing A, said shankfhaving through it an opening placing its' Ainterior Ain communication'with the interior `of 'the'casing The opening is non-circular, 'and through it passes a non-circular rod Oftheflower end of which is adapted to cn-Y gage and be supported by the bridge I when the=latter is inoperative position; The upper portion of the rod occupies the box N and carries a target I), bearing an inscription-- e. g., the Word Set The front of the box has 'throughitan o eiiing a', over which a heavy paneofjglass issecured by a clampingframe. R ,fastened to thebox by screws or bolts.y 'lheidoyvnwardmovement of the rod is lii'iii ted by aslioulder provided. by a pin-0,'

. proven ted from operating, and thus the giving of a false indication is positively prevented. lt will be seen also that when in set position the indicator has a part-6. g., the lower end of rod 0 which lies in the path in which the bridge moves in coming into operative position, so that it cannot reach this osition iintil the indicator has been move to a position which indicates that the bridge is in place. In other words, the temporary valve-holding device and the indicator have engaging parts movable in acommon'path, lwhereby each until displaced interferes with the movement of the other.

While I have shown and described a gravity-operated indicator, it is manifest that a spring-operated indicatorA is Within the scope of the invention, generically considered, the characteristic feature of which is the indicatoi controlled by a displaceable' part of the temporary valve-holding device.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-"" l. In a-device of the class described, the combination with a valve and a main talveholding device, of a temporary valve-holding device, means for tripping it, and an indicator, the temporary va path whereby each, until displaced, interei'es with the movement of thev other, substantially as described.

2. Iii a device of the class described, the

malin valve-holding device, means for trip-v ve-holding device and indicator having partsl movable in a common pig the trigger and. releasing said displaceable part, andan indicator controlled by said vdisplaceable part, substantially as described.

4l. ln a device of the yclass described, the

combination with a valve and a main valvelioldii'ig device, ol' a temporary valve-holding device, means for trip ing it, and a quick-acting indicator contro led by the `temporary valve-holding device, siibstantially as del p device, means for tripping it, and a gravityoperating indicator controlled by the temporary valve-holding device, substantially as described.V l

6. In a device of the class described, the combination With a valve and a main valveholding device, of a temporary valve-holding device, means for tripping it, and an indicator controlled by the temporary.valve-holding device, said indicator having a movable part adapted to fall. by grayity when released, substantially as described.

7. In a device ci the class described, the combination with a valve and a main valveholding device of a temporary valve-holding device having a displaceable part and a triger for holding it in operative position, means or tripping the trigger, and an indicator having a part controlled by said displaceable part, substantially as described.

8. In a device of the-class described, the combination with a valve and a main 'valveholdingdevice, of a temporary valve-holding IOO device having a displaceable part and a vtrigger for holding it in operative position, means tor tripping the trigger and an indicator having a part engaged and controlled by said displaceable part and adapted to fall by gravity when released, substantially as described.

9. In a device of the class described, the combination with a valve and a main valveholding device, of a temporary valve-holding device, means for trilpping it, and an indicay-movable rod engaged y tor havinga vertical by a movable part ot the tem orary valveholding device and ad apted to liiill by gravity when released, substantially as described.

l0. In a device of the class described the combination with a valve and a main valveholding device; or' a temporary valve-holding device, means for tripping' it, and an indicator controlled by the temporary valve-holding device, of an air-tight inclosure containing lthe valve, valve-holding devices and indi-y cator, substantially as d escribed.

11. In a device of the class described, the combination with a valve, a main valve-holding device, and an air-tight casing containing IOS IIO

them, of ,a temporary valve-holding device,

means for tripping it and an indicatorV controlled by the temporary valve-holding, de-

vice, said indicator having a target and an part interposed between the trigger and the xo air-tight box containing the target., said box` main va1veho1ding device, means c0ntr01led'- having internal communication with the inby. the pressure in the System for tri pirlgthsteriorpf the casing, and having a transparent trigger, and lan indicator controlle by said pane, substantially as described. displaceable part, substantially as described. 12. Ina device of the class described, the f MARTIN ANDREWS.

combination with a valve and ainain valve- Witnesses:

holding device, of a temporary valve-ho1ding M. T'. GOLDBERG,

device having a trigger and a displaceable B. J, MOORE. 

